Dough ring cutting machine



Oct. 7, 1952 J, A JR 2,612,853

DOUGH RING CUTTING MACHINE 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed Jan. 3, 1950 m/ w /0/lA MIWJ 54:: J2,

Oct. 7, 1952 JVBALE, JR 2,612,853

DOUGH RING CUTTING MACHINE 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed Jan. 3, 1950 INVENTOR.AA/MIW J 34:: J4

limp/VIZ! Patented Oct. 7, 1952 Andrew J. Bale, 'Jr.,

Berkeley, Calif., assignor to Pacific Bakery Machinery 00., Oakland,Calif I a corporation of California Application January 3, 1950. SerialNo. 136,598

'7 Claims.

This invention relates tc'a machine for cutting doughnuts from acontinuously movin sheet of dough and constitutes an improvement to themechanism disclosed in my co-pending application Ser. No. 738,799entitled Doughnut Making Machine, filed April 2', 1947, now abandoned. I

In general it is the object of the present invention to provide animproved form of doughnut cutting machine operable to cut or punchdoughnuts from a continuously moving sheet of dough.

More particularly the object of this invention is the provision of animproved form of cutting machine adapted for use in connection with thedough kneading, sheet forming, conveying, warmin and frying elements ofthe machine of my aforesaid co-pending application.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a machine adaptedto out doughnut rings from a continuously moving sheet of dough, thesaid machine having a more positive and dependable means for removingthe doughnut centers cut out of the sheet of dough.

The invention possesses other advantageous features, some of which, withthe foregoing, will be set forth at length in the following descriptionwhere that form of the invention which has been selected forillustration in the drawings accompanying and forming a part of thepresent specification is outlined in full. In said drawings, one form ofthe invention is shown, but it is to be understood that it is notlimited to such form, since the invention as set forth in the claims maybe embodied in a plurality of forms.

Referringto the drawings:

Fig. l is a fragmentary transverse vertical section through the cuttingmachine of the invention:

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the cutting elements in differentoperative positions;

Fig. 3 is a section taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 4 is a section ofFig. 1; M

Fig. 5 is a section taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 1 showing a part ofthe driving mechanism;

Fig. 6 is an end elevation as seen from the left of Fig. 1, showingother parts of the driving mechanism.

The machine illustrated in. these figures is designated in its entiretyby the reference numeral Ill, and comprises a cutting assembly I Imounted on and supported by angle brackets i2 carried by side plates 13in the manner hereintaken along the lined-4 after described. The sideplates l3 are in turn fixed to frame brackets M. The cutting assembly His driven by a counter'shaft H5 in turn driven by a main driveshaft (notshown) through the medium of a chain (also not shown) and a sprocket i6fixed to the counter'shaft It. At each end the countershaft i5 is pinnedat ll to a sleeve l8journ'alled in a bearing lilac The sleeve 18 isformed at one end with a carrier plate IS in which a slide 20 isslidably supported; its radial position being determined by means ofscrews 25 and nuts 26. Fixed to the slide 20 is a crank pin 21 to whicha crank 23 is pivotally connected. The other end of the crank 28 ispivotally connected to one end of a pin 29 the other end of which isfixed to a slide plate so. A spacer 3| is provided to space the crank 28from the frame bracket l4 and a cam follower 32 is mounted on the pin 29to ride in a horizontal cam slot 33, most clearly shown in Fig. 6.

The slide plate 30 is received at its lower end in a recess 36 formedinthe frame bracket M and it is formed with a vertical slot 34 rabbeted orrecessed at 35 to receive one leg of the angle bracket [2. A pin 40 isprovided, extending through the angle bracket I2 and the slot cc and itis provided at its outer end with a cam follower roller 4| which ridesin a diagonal'slot 412 best shown in Fig. 6. A nut 43 and washer 44together with a head 45 at the other end of the pin 40 serve to retainthe pin 40 and the roller 4! in their proper positions. I

It will be apparent that upon rotation of the shaft l5 -a compoundoscillating movement will be imparted to the angle brackets 12, andtherefore to the cutting assembly ll, such movement comprising avertical component intended to accomplish the punching or cutting of thesheet to produce individualdoughnuts, and a horizontal componentintended to move the cutting assembly H andthe punches thereofwith andat the same rate as the moving sheet of dough during the actual punchingor cutting operation, so that there is no relative movement between thecutting or punching elementsand the sheet of material being cut orpunched.

It will be understood, of course, that the driving means for the cuttingassembly is duplicated at the other end of shaft is.

The cutting assembly I l comprises a punch carrier 50 having a bottom 5!serving as apunch carrier plate and fixed to the angle brackets 12 bymeans of bolts 52 and nuts 53. Mounted on the punch'carrier plate 5! isa punch guide plate 64 which also forms the bottom of a hopper 55, the

guide plate 54 being adjustable by means of screws 56 and nuts 51. Thepunch guide plate 54 is formed with holes 58 to slidably receive innercutters or punches 59 welded at 60 to the carrier plate Outer punches orcutters 65 are welded at 66 to the carrier plate 5| and at their lowerends are slidably received in holes 61 formed in a stripper plate 68.The stripper plate 68 is slidably supported by rods 69 fixed to theguide plate 54 by nuts and threaded at their lower ends into thestripper plate. Compression springs H are compressed between washers 12and 13 and operate to urge the stripper plate downwardly. The stripperplate is provided with stop members 14 as illustrated.

Outer punches 05 are formed at their lower ends with knife edges 75 andare guided and spaced from the inner punches by annular guide plates 16having holes 11 formed therein to slidably receive the inner punches.The annular guide plates 16 are carried by rods 18 fixed at their upperends to the punch guide plate 54. The inner punches 59 comprisetelescopically arranged inner and outer members 80 and 8| having knifeedges 82 and 83 respectively. Each inner member is welded to the punchcarrier at 60 and is slidable through the hole 58 in punch guide plate54, as explained hereinabove, and it is formed with an annular shoulder84. A compression spring 86 located between the shoulder 84 and theupper edge of the outer member 8| urges the latter downwardly. It willbe seen that the tapers on the knife edges 82 and 83 are oppositelydisposed so that when they are located in the same plane, as shown inFig. 2, they form in effect a single knife edge.

As is best shown in Fig. 4, a dough retainer member 90 is provided inthe form of an L- shaped member having a head 9| at the lower end of itsvertical leg 92 and having horizontal leg 93 extending through the innerpunch member 80 and riding in a slot 94 formed in the outer punch member8|. The head 9| lies in the plane of the knife edge 82. A pin 95 fixedto and projecting from the inner member 80 rides in a similar slot 94a.diametrically opposite the slot 94. The retainer member 90 and the pin95 thus permit limited axial movement of the outer member 8| relativelyto the inner member 80.

As is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a conveyor table 96 is provided whichconstitutes a fixed part of the machine, and also a conveyor belt 91which is continuously moved by any suitable means, such as thatdescribed in my above mentioned co-pending application. The conveyorbelt 91 serves to carry a continuoussheet of dough 99.

The cutting or punching device thus described operates as follows: theshaft I5 is driven by any suitable means in timed relationship to otherparts of the machine which knead the dough, form it into a sheet, movethe conveyor belt 91 and perform other operations. Reciprocation of thepunch carrier plate 5| in a vertical plane and oscillation thereof in ahorizontal plane are effected through the medium of the crank 28 and thevarious other driving means in precisely the manner described in myabove mentioned co-pending application.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, in Fig. 1 the cutters orpunches are shown in their topmost, retracted position and in Fig. 2they are shown in their bottom-most, advanced position and in the act ofpunching out a doughnut. As will be apparent, each outer punch 65 makesa circular cut I00 and it will be apparent that a residue or latticeworkof dough material indicated as |0| will be formed by this operation. Theinner and outer punch members and 8| of the inner punch 59 willtelescope and will form an inner cut I02, thus forming a doughnut |03and a center piece I 04. The center piece I04 will become firmly wedgedbetween the inner punch member 80 and the retainer member 90, the head9| of the latter serving to extrude the dough and cause it to assume theirregular shape illustrated in Fig. 2, thereby firmly wedging orembedding the center piece |04 in the interior of the inner member 80.As the punch carrier plate 5| ascends after completion of these punchingoperations, each compression spring 86 will hold the outer punch member8| momentarily in contact with the conveyor belt 91. Also, the springsII will hold the stop members 14 of stripper plate 68 momentarily incontact with the conveyor belt. Meanwhile the inner punch member 80 willbe retracted carrying with it the center piece 104 and effectivelystripping it from the sheet of dough. Thereafter, of course, theretainer member and the pin will seat against the lower ends of theslots 94 and 94a and the outer punch member 8| will be retracted toclear the inner punch 59 from the sheet of dough. Meanwhile, the outerpunches 65will clear the sheet of dough and after springs II haveexpanded the stripper plate 68 will be retracted.

As this cycle is repeated, the center pieces I04 will be pushed upwardlythrough the throat of each inner punch 80 and into the hopper 55, whencethey can be removed.

It will thus be apparent that a cutting or punching device is providedfor cutting doughnuts or other similarly shaped objects from acontinuously moving sheet of dough. Means are provided for effectivelyseparating and stripping a center piece from each doughnut and forstripping the residual sheet of dough and the doughnuts from thepunches. Each center piece is firmly wedged in the inner punch member.It cannot fall out as the punches are retracted and must move upwardlyand eventually into the hopper, as the cycle is repeated.

I claim:

1. A machine of the character described comprising telescopicallyarranged inner and outer punches each having a, tapered punching endforming a knife edge, the taper on the inner punch being opposite to thetaper on the outer punch so as to form in effect a single knife edgewhen the punching ends of said punches lie in the same plane, said outerpunch being slidably mounted on the inner punch for limited axialmovement relatively to the inner punch, spring means operable todisplace the outer punch axially so that its punching edge lies beyondthe punching edge of the inner punch, means for advancing said punchesin unison to perform a punching operation and for retracting thepunches.

2. A machine of the character described comprising inner and outerannular punches, said outer punch being slidably mounted on said innerpunch for limited axial movement relatively to the inner punch, springmeans urging said outer punch so that its punching end normally liesbeyond the punching end of the inner punch, the

plane, and means for reciprocating said punches to alternately advancethem, make apunchin operation, and retract them.

3. A machine of the character described comprising inner and outerannular punches, said outer punch being slidably mounted on said innerpunch for limited axial movement relatively to the inner punch, springmeans urging said outer punch so that its punching end normally liesbeyond the punching end of the inner punch, the punching ends of saidinner and outer punches being oppositely tapered so as to form in efiecta single knife'edge when they lie in the same plane, means forreciprocating said punches to alternately advance them, make a punchingoperation, and retract them, and a centrally located retainer membermounted centrally within said inner punch.

4. A machine of the character described comprising inner and outerannular punches, said outer punch being slidably mounted on said innerpunch for limited axial movement relatively to the inner punch, springmeans urging said outer punch so that its punching end normally liesbeyond the punching end of the inner punch, the punching ends of saidinner and outer punches being oppositely tapered so as to form in effecta single knife edge when they lie in the same plane, means forreciprocating said punches to alternately advance them, make a punchingoperation, and retract them, and a centrally located retainer membermounted centrally within said inner punch, said retainer member havingan enlarged head at its lower end located in the plane of the punchingend of the inner punch.

5. A doughnut cutting machine adapted to cut doughnuts from a sheet ofdough comprising a carrier member, means for reciprocating said carriermember to advance and retract it to and from a sheet of dough, anoutermost annular punch carried by the carrier member for punching outthe outer circumference of a doughnut, inner unching means carried bysaid carrier member for punching a central hole in a doughnut, saidinner punching means comprisinginner and outer telescopically disposedannular members having oppositely tapered punching .edges forming asingle knife edge when disposed in the same plane, said outer memberbeing mounted on the inner member for limited sliding movement in anaxial direction, and a spring for normally holding the punching edge ofthe outer member in advance of the punching edge of the inner member.

6. A doughnut cutting machine adapted to cut doughnuts from a sheet ofdough comprising a carrier member, means for reciprocating said carriermember to advance and retract it to and from a sheet of dough, anoutermost annular punch carried by the carrier member for punching outthe outer circumference of a doughnut,

inner punching means carried by said carrier member for punching acentral hole in a doughnut, said inner punching means comprising innerand outer telescopically disposed annular members having oppositelytapered punching edges forming a single knife edge when disposed in thesame plane, said outer memberbeing mounted on the inner member forlimited sliding movement in an axial direction, a spring for normallyholding the punching edge of the outer member in advance of the punchingedge of the inner member, and a centrally located retainer member havinga head thereon mounted within said inner annular member with its head inthe plane of the punching edge of said inner member.

7. A machine of the character described comprising a continuous conveyorarranged to carry a sheet of dough in a horizontal plane, a punchcarrier disposed above the conveyor, means mounting the carrier forsimultaneous oscillation in a vertical plane and in a horizontal plane,a hopper having a bottom portion mounted above the carrier, a stripperplate carried by said hopper, disposed below the carrier and mounted formovement in a vertical plane relatively to the carrier, spring meansurging the stripper plate downwardly, an outer annular punch carried bythe punch carrier to punch the outer circum ference of a doughnut from asheet of dough carried by the conveyor, said outer punch being slidablethrough the stripper plate, inner punch means for cutting the centerhole in said doughnut, said inner punch means comprising an innerannular punch member fixed to the carrier, communicating with theinterior of the hopper and slidable through the bottom portion thereofand through the stripper plate, an outer annular punch membertelescopically mounted on the inner member for limited axial movementrelatively thereto, a spring urging the outer punch member downwardly,and a dough retainer member mounted centrally within said inner memberand having an enlarged head lying in the plane of the lower edge of theinner member, said inner and outer punch members being oppositelytapered to provide a single knife edge when they lie in the same plane.

ANDREW J. BALE, JR.

. REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 184,562 Waste Nov. 21, 1876557,554 Clemens Apr. '7, 1896 788,217 Mohr Apr. 25, 1905 1,236,620Storment, et a1. 5. Aug. 14, 1917

